Day: August 11, 2019

Nevada officials reach out to D-backs on potential relocation Well, when you put it that way. Larry Fitzgerald is going to get paid. At 27-years-old, the Cardinals star is just entering his prime. A free agent at the end of the season, Cards GM Rod Graves said money is really no object in negotiations for a contract extension“We are prepared to make Larry the highest-paid player in our history and we are prepared to make him one of the highest-paid players in the National Football League,” Graves told Sports 620 KTAR. “So I see no reason why we can’t get a deal in place before the start of the season.” Top Stories Comments Share D-backs president Derrick Hall: Franchise ‘still focused on Arizona’ Cardinals expect improving Murphy to contribute right away What an MLB source said about the D-backs’ trade haul for Greinkeread more

Comments Share Top Stories D-backs president Derrick Hall: Franchise ‘still focused on Arizona’ Minnesota Vikings general manager Dominic Fratus selectedhighly-touted cornerback Morris Claiborne out of LSU.Claiborne was a projected top-five pick, but not manyexperts had him going third overall. The fourth and fifth picks were two big time playmakers incollege. The Cleveland Browns (represented by Bing Brown)nabbed running back Trent Richardson out of Alabama andOklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon was taken by theTampa Bay Buccaneers and their GM Jay Johnston. Four offensive impact players get taken off the board withthe top corner in the draft being the other selection inthe top five. Nevada officials reach out to D-backs on potential relocation The following story is related to Doug & Wolf’s MockDraft, presented by Bud Light. The draft took placeWednesday at Talking Stick Resort as a precursor toThursday’s actual 2012 NFL Draft.There were no surprises at the top of the Doug & Wolf’s MockDraft as the Indianapolis Colts (represented by GMHeber Reed) and Washington Redskins (by Stephan Francois)took Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III with the top twoselections. What an MLB source said about the D-backs’ trade haul for Greinke Cardinals expect improving Murphy to contribute right awayread more

And Tyrann Mathieu has learned three different positions for three personnel packages! He has played corner, nickel corner and safety in base, nickel and dime personnel packages. He knows it and is making plays.For a former player like myself, understanding how complex the game is at this level, I could not be any more impressed. But I’m not the only one impressed.One scout told me that Tyrann Mathieu was, “pound-for-pound, the best player on the field.” And while conversing with an offensive assistant coach he told me that he believed, “No. 32 was going to change the team.” My jaw is still hanging as I write this. These are things you don’t hear from grizzled, hardcore professionals. And yet all of it won’t matter unless Tyrann understands the burden he carries. It will all be for naught if he doesn’t accept the responsibility of keeping himself on the straight and narrow.Risk/reward is something every GM must take into account when bringing a player into the organization. And Mathieu was a risk; but as it stands right now, Steve Keim should buy a lottery ticket. – / 38 Over the weekend I experienced something that I’m still having a hard time wrapping my mind around. Hardcore NFL scouts and coaches are raving about Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals’ third-round pick out of LSU. Mathieu has always been an excellent football player, but his adjustment — mentally — to the National Football League has been nothing short of stunning.The most difficult aspect of making the transition from college to the NFL is found between the ears. The game is so much more complicated, complex and volatile; schemes are multifaceted and evolving. Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires Top Stories Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling Comments Share The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impactread more

Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling Top Stories According to Katz, it all adds up to the Cardinals having a 42 percent chance to win the NFC and reach the Super Bowl, while the Panthers boast a 39 percent mark. The Seattle Seahawks are third at nine percent.And, should the Cardinals make good on their odds and reach the big game?The AFC’s Super Bowl representative is much more unclear, which is one factor contributing to each team’s seemingly low Super Bowl odds. The Patriots, Bengals and Broncos all have between a 20 percent and 35 percent chance to win the conference, but no matter which team represents the AFC, FPI would favor the Cardinals by at least one point against any opponent on Feb. 7.So there you go. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, right, is congratulated by quarterback Carson Palmer after catching a pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Ram on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, in St. Louis. With the reception, Fitzgerald has surpassed Andre Johnson as the youngest player to reach 1,000 career receptions in NFL history. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson) Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires 0 Comments Share Again, though, there are four regular season games left, and for the Cardinals, each one is against a team that may very well reach the postseason along with them. Still, as of now Sharon Katz writes how ESPN’s Football Power Index (ESPN Insider) says Arizona is the favorite to win the NFC and has the best chance of any team from either conference to win Super Bowl 50.There are many reasons for why their system favors the Cardinals, but the first they list is how the team is one of the most balanced in the NFL in terms of offense and defense, where they rank first and third, respectively, in efficiency.They are just the third team in the past 10 seasons to rank in the top three on both sides of the ball this late in the season (Texans 2012, Colts 2007).Why is Arizona’s offense so good? The piece points to quarterback Carson Palmer, who it says is having an MVP-caliber season. He leads in their Total QBR stat, posting a mark above 50 in every game this season. Katz points out that the last three QBs to start a season with 12 straight games — Aaron Rodgers in 2011, Peyton Manning in 2009 and Tom Brady in 2007 — with a QBR above 50 all won the MVP that season. The 35-year-old Palmer has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 3,693 yards and 29 touchdowns with just nine interceptions.The story notes how Palmer is helped by a trio of excellent receivers, with Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd leading all wideouts in yards and 20-yard receptions.Fitzgerald topped the 1,000-yard mark in last Sunday’s win over the Rams (he’s at 1,047), while Brown (817) and Floyd (550) could each reach the plateau. The last time the Cardinals had three receivers tally at least 1,000 yards was 2008, when Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston accomplished the feat.The Cardinals reached the Super Bowl that season, by the way.Arizona’s success is not solely attributable to the offense, however, as Katz points out the team’s defense — led by a secondary that leads the league in interceptions while allowing the lowest completion percentage on throws of 15-plus yards in the NFL.Because of all of these factors, Arizona is projected to be about 1.1 points better than any other team on a neutral field and about 2.7 points better than Carolina.Of course, should the Cardinals play the Panthers odds are it will not happen on a neutral field, as they are currently 12-0 and in prime position to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs, meaning they will be playing home games until the Super Bowl. The FPI gives Carolina a 90 percent chance to keep the top spot, meaning Arizona would have to go on the road once if it is to reach Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara. With that, their projections have the Cardinals beating the Panthers about 50 percent of the time. The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo As anyone who followed the Arizona Cardinals last season could tell you, there is still much football left to be played before any real postseason predictions can be made.Shoot, Cardinals fans may tell you there’s too much football left to be played.At 10-2, Arizona is in great position to not only win the NFC West for the first time since 2009, but also earn a first-round bye courtesy of being one of the NFC’s top two seeds. Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impactread more

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Bradley Sowell (79) celebrates a touchdown reception with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) 0 Comments Share The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo Top Stories The Bears placed fifth in Doug Franz’s power rankings and fourth in Paul Calvisi’s. Related LinksCardinals draft Ohio State DE Nick Bosa in McShay’s 1st NFL mockThe Consensus Week 15: SB Nation rankings save Cardinals from cellarBehind Enemy Lines: Cardinals try to salvage road win against FalconsRon Wolfley did not follow suit. He simply had the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs leap-frog the Patriots in his rankings compared to a week ago — this after New England fell on a wild two-lateral play in the final seconds against the Miami Dolphins.Calvisi dinged the Pats for that loss. They ranked second in his power poll last week but moved out of Calvisi’s top-five entirely, allowing for the Dallas Cowboys to enter. Dallas won its fifth in a row, beating the Eagles 29-23 this week.Maybe the other big takeaway from this week: a Rams loss wasn’t a cause for panic, as two of our pollsters kept them steady at No. 1 while Franz slid them down from second to third despite the loss to Chicago.A peek at each of the guys’ power polls are below:Doug Franz5. Bears4. Chargers3. Rams2. Chiefs1. SaintsRon Wolfley5. Patriots4. Chargers3. Chiefs2. Saints1. RamsPaul Calvisi5. Cowboys4. Bears3. Chiefs2. Saints1. Rams Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling The Chicago Bears have arrived. There’s hardly a better way to announce that than holding an 11-2 Los Angeles Rams juggernaut to six points on Sunday.Also, Bradley Sowell scored a touchdown. Yeah, that Bradley Sowell, the backup offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-15.Anyway, all that made for a 15-6 victory that moved the Bears to 9-4 on the season. And also thanks to a loss by the Texans against the Indianapolis Colts that ended a nine-game winning streak for Houston, Chicago found itself in the Week 15 Doug & Wolf power poll. Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impactread more